On the one hand, weekly sales of Stronger fell 40% last week, from 41,000 to 25,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. But almost every album saw its sales drop last week, some by a smaller percentage than Kelly’s but most by a greater amount. And Kelly did make a nice jump on The Billboard 200, moving from No. 39 last week to No. 17 this week.

That makes Stronger the week’s best-selling album from an American Idol act, followed by Scotty McCreery’s Clear as Day, which saw its weekly sales drop 74%, enough to take Scotty out of the top 20. Also, her iTunes Session debuted at No. 85, selling 9,000 downloads.

So did an influx of Paul-loving buyers give Stronger and iTunes Session better weeks than they could have expected otherwise? Or did an unlikely coalition of Democrats and Rick Santorum supporters suddenly remove the albums from their shopping carts and instead use their iTunes gift cards on Michael Jackson’s Number Ones, which saw a 79% increase for the week?

Clint Eastwood has a new leading man he’s pretty passionate about, saying he loves “his” story. Unfortunately right now there are lots of stories going around Clint’s guy- Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain.

As the ladies line up to accuse Cain of misconduct, Eastwood says Cain is a guy “who came from nowhere and did well, obviously against heavy odds. He’s a doer and a straight-talker, which I don’t see enough of from either party.”

Eastwood is a long time Republican, having never voted for a Democrat except once in the 80s. But if he were casting a guy who looks like a President…that honor would go to ” Mitt Romney” , says Eastwood.

Hmm… who to support?The guy with the great story or great looks? Tough call.

HERE ARE MY TWO HOTTIES OF THE WEEK SPOUTING OFF THAT POLITICAL PASSION!

George Clooney makes politics sexy. (Ok…pretty much anything sexy,but politics definitely gets sexier when Clooney is involved). Even though we know he’s a diehard Democrat, what’s even more impressive is his insight and passion into world politics. He graces the cover of Rolling Stones this month where he says he can name “ 40 hotspots in the world right now. Not just physically violent hotspots, but financially as well.” How many can you name? I’m game for a little clooney hotspot 101!

We’ve all heard the stories of actors passing on that one big movie role… well here’s one who passed because of politics!

Remember Matthew Modine? ( Gross Anatomy, Weeds, The Streamers) He’ll be the new villan in the upcoming Batman movie “Dark Knight Rises”. He spoke to a class at Yale University this week and reminded the kids he turned down Tom Cruise’s role in Topgun because of the film’s cold war politics. Here’s what he’s said about that choice:

“As a kid, I was always taught the Russians were the bad guys, the Chinese would destroy the world… Then early in my career I was at the Berlin film festival and a guy took me to East Berlin. I saw a monument to Russian soldiers who died fighting Germany. The fact Russia was our ally in World War II was not part of my basic education. I met Russian soldiers and they were no different to my brothers who’d served in Vietnam. We shared cigarettes, they gave me pins from their uniforms. When I got home, the Top Gun script was waiting for me and I knew I just couldn’t perpetuate the lie.”

It was a party in Tinseltown this week as celebs opened up their houses and wallets to support President Obama (the LAPD now have his trips down to a science). Among the stars; Will Smith, basketball great Magic Johnson and the pregnant Hillary Duff who all shelled out $38,500 a piece to have an intimate dinner and chat with the president at the home of mega producer James Lassiter and his wife.

Then he hopped across town to focus on the Latino vote. When you’re the President of course you do that with a party at Antonio Banderas and wife Melanie Griffith’s house. Eva Longoria, a long time advocate of engaging Latino voters and an Obama campaign volunteer, joined George Lopez where they gave a little “amor por el Presidente”.

In the last 6 months these celeb-fueled fundraisers have brought in nearly $1 million dollars for Obama. While the parties keep going, the one thing that’s changing is access for the press. They were shunned from this last round of parties. Apparently Obama’s people think it doesn’t look too good to all the unemployed, struggling Americans out there. But that didn’t stop him from ending his trip with Jay Leno on the “Tonight Show”. Because of course, that’s how every public servant leaves Los Angeles.

So with so many celebs seeing blue… where’s all the red action? Here’s a quick little rundown of some Republican celebrity support as the primary contenders are fighting it out.

Vince Vaughn is stepping it up for Ron Paul’s presidential campaign and he’s doing it the “old school” way with good old-fashion face time and personal loyalty. The actor introduced Paul at a libertarian conference in Nevada and offered up his support. Apparently the two go back at least two years when Paul supported Vaughn at his 2009 Couples Retreat premiere.

Oscar winner Russell Crowe has also revealed a bit of a bromance with Texas Governor Rick Perry. While Crowe doesn’t think being a celebrity gives someone the right to “air your political views” he did say, “I like [Perry] very much as a bloke”. Too bad the Aussie can’t vote.

Former supermodel Cindy Crawford appeared in a demonstration video for Mitt Romney to show people how to use ComMitt, a fundraising software. A very public form of support, the problem is Crawford supported Obama in ’08. But it’s not only presidential candidates who know how to spin a story. Her rep said “she’s friendly with Romney’s son…but didn’t specify whether she would back a Romney bid”.

Stay tuned for the blues and the reds. It’s going to be a royally purple mess as we get closer to November 2012!

What’s more stunning… the new free trade agreement with South Korea or the First Lady’s purple one-shoulder gown she wore to commemorate the big occasion?

President Obama and wife Michelle posed for pictures with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his wife before a state dinner at the White House on Thursday night. ( I’m loving the contrast here between the skin-baring American who looks like she could be at the Academy Awards and the fully clad Asian dignitary).

Earlier in the day, Congress not only passed free trade agreements with Asia’s fourth largest economy but also opened up Columbia and Panama. It’s a big score for Obama’s administration who believes these new opportunities will help create jobs here at home.

It looks to me like the Obamas dressed for a celebration. Do I hear a cheers or a cha-ching?

“He said ‘Oh my gosh! Are you a Republican?’” Leal recalls.”I was like, ‘What, do you like Obama?’ He said, ‘Yeah,’ and asked if I could name up-and-coming candidates.”

Leal continues: “I said Rick Perry,” she explains of fellow Texan and potential frontrunner Perry. “He asked if I’d vote for him. I said I didn’t know and he laughed. He laughed at pretty much everything I said.”

Maybe he should stick with fellow Democrat and WIFE , Demi Moore. Neither Kutcher or Moore have addressed the infidelity rumors and were both seen attending a service at a Kabbalah center over the weekend.

It could be the plot for a new political thriller. Picture it…a hot bed of revolutionary activity, a notorious leader on the run and hundreds of thousands in need. Cue music… in comes a multi-million dollar Oscar winner to the rescue.

For Sean Penn it’s a part he loves to play… without the pay!

Why does a divorced man who has young starlets throwing themselves at him ( remember Scarlett Johansson) goes to Libya over Las Vegas or Haiti over Hawaii is beyond me. But he’s an actor who walks the walk behind all his liberal talk. This week he walked, or more like marched, in the streets of Egypt and rallied behind the uprisers in Libya.

As a renowned human activist, he showed his support for the Libyan freedom fighters in person. It’s been a month since they overthrew the infamous dictator Muammar Gaadafi’s government. ( This is a guy who’s wanted for killing thousands of civilians massacre style). Penn stopped in the Libyan capital of Tripoli where he told reporters he admired the Libyan people for having “the courage to say, ‘We want freedom’”.

(Courtesy AP)

In Egypt he protested and buddied up with Egyptian movie star Khaled El Nabawy. The power duo took to the streets to encourage a faster transition to democracy and reassure tourists it is once again safe to travel there following the revolution earlier this year that overthrew their President.

How much good did Sean Penn really do? It’s hard to tell. But one thing is for sure, media outlets worldwide pay attention when an A-list celeb turns up! From CBS News and Perezhilton.com to The Guardian﻿, this guy gets coverage.

Jennifer Aniston joined Second Lady Jill Biden today in Alexandria, VA, to tour the new Inova Breast Care Center. Jennifer was brought to tears as she and Jill listened to the heart-wrenching but hopeful stories of several women who have lived through breast cancer during their visit to the clinic. The cause is one that Jill and Jennifer have both been involved with for several years. Jennifer just debuted her directorial project, the Lifetime movie “Five”, which is a series of short films about the disease, and her effort will be honored at the Elle Women in Hollywood celebration in the coming months. Jill, for her part, has spent two decades championing early detection and prevention of the cancer. Jennifer traveled to Virginia today from her home base in NYC, where she and Justin Theroux have been settling into their new life together.

Real Housewives’ Kyle Richards Meets President Obama!

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills aired its second episode Monday, but costar Kyle Richards had plans other than tuning in. She and her husband, Mauricio Umansky, enjoyed face time with President Barack Obama instead!

Two of the nearly 800 attendees at an Obama fundraiser held Monday at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, Richards and Umansky couldn’t contain their excitement over meeting the Commander-in-Chief.

“Off to meet our President @BarackObama #surrealtweet #whatdoiwear #hopeidontsaysomethingstupid,” Richards Tweeted on her way to the event Monday evening.

“I’m going to ask our President if he can do anything about my favorite lip gloss that was discontinued,” she later posted in jest. “[Or] maybe I will give him my suggestions for the deficit…JUST PRINT MORE MONEY.”

Once the couple arrived at the event, L.A. real estate agent Usmansky had the chance to chat with Obama. “Great conversation with @BarackObama. I hear [First Lady] Michelle watches #Rhobh,” he Tweeted, along with a photo.

Bravo exec Andy Cohen later recounted the pair’s meeting with Obama on his late night show WatchWhat Happens Live. When asked by the president which TV show she was on, Richards played coy. “I’m embarrassed to tell you, but Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” Cohen quote Richards as saying.

Lady Gaga didn’t dance around the issue of bullying when she met face to face with President Obama.

Gaga was among the guests at an Obama fundraiser hosted by a couple of Facebook executives who charged $38,500 a couple. She arrived reportedly wore a black dress scalloped high plunge back and high heels. Her blond hair was upswept, with black flowers and black veil sweeping down back of hair.

Gaga had one mission…help stop “bullying” which recently made headlines with the death of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer who took his own life after years of bullying.

Gaga tweeted her gameplan to her fans before the big event:

“I am meeting with our President. I will not stop fighting. This must end. Our generation has the power to end it. Trend it #MakeALawForJamey.”

According to a source at the fundraiser, Gaga asked a question during the Q&A. She first thanked the president for what he’s accomplished, then read from what she said was a letter from a fan about the suicide of another fan who had been subjected to bullying.

She thanked Obama for hosting his anti-bullying conference with Michelle Obama, and then made a general plea to everyone in the room, including the president, to do what they can to prevent bullying.

Obama thanked her, spoke about his administration’s anti-bullying campaign, and then more generally about the importance of values and who we are as Americans.

Gaga is pushing to make bullying illegal and calls it ” a hate crime”. Rodemeyer took his life on September 18. In his final Twitter message he referenced Lady Gaga, writing “thank you for all you have done.”